Sunday Brunches sponsored by Rainbow Lodge Reviews / Profile Sunday Brunch / Menus Website Rainbow Lodge Celebrate with us at our fabulous new location: A Historic Log Cabin on an Acre of Grounds Hours: See Profile   2011 Ella Blvd Houston TX 77008 713.861.8666   1 Birdsall St (MOVED) Houston TX   Add Review PROFILE   Website  Menu 2008 HBJ Executive Dining Guide's Reader's Choice Winner! Rated Best Overall Atmosphere Best Place to Impress an Out-of-Town Client Best Scenic View Best Exotic meal Thank You, Houston Business Journal Readers 713.861.8666   www.rainbow-lodge.com Celebrating 30 years as Houston's Original Lodge Restaurant featuring Gulf Seafood and Wild Game ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dinner at your place???? We Cater.... 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: A friend recommended this place for our 9 yr. anniversary. Made reservations and was warmly greeted by the hostess who directed us to our table. When making reservations though ask for window seat so you can see the lovely view outside, I wish I would of known that. The watier was very attentive and nice. We shared the Duck Gumbo which was devine. Also had the Taste of the Wild, A Wild Game Sampling and the venison sample just melted in my mouth. Next time I go I will order venison for my main antree. My husband had the elk which he was happy with and I had the sea bass. Dessert was delicious we had the Croissant Bread Pudding and when delivered the plate read "Happy Anniversary" which was a nice touch to our evening. We highly recommend and will plan on going back again for that Venison. NAME: RGutie SUBMITTED: 4/2/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 03/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: The food was phenomenal! We shared the signature duck gumbo appetizer which was decadent, it was a bit more like an etouffe than a gumbo. I had the buffalo special entree and my husband had the halibut special. The buffalo was melt in your mouth perfect. It was overall a very relaxing atmosphere and we will definitely be coming back for future special occasions. NAME: mrsladyhead SUBMITTED: 2/28/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 02/23/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: This was my first visit to Rainbow Lodge and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We had a large party (14), so I got to see a wide variety of the food that was available and everyone was very pleased with the experience. The Garden Bleu Salad was outstanding . . . I wanted to order another one by the time I was done. I followed up it with the Grilled Beef Tenderloin Filet which was cooked to perfection. In the past, I had been turned off by the notion of an exotic menu because of a personal preference. However, I was pleased that there were many standard beef, chicken and seafood entres to meet my needs (plus that awesome salad), as well as the wild game for my more adventerous friends. NAME: EMP SUBMITTED: 2/6/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 2/2/08 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: This was our first visit. The ambience is very nice and the food was excellent. My wife had the red snapper and it was very well prepared (although the rice was a little al dente). I couldn't decide on a main course so I got the sampleer with venison, elk, rabbit and wild boar. I loved, and wished I just gotten, either the venison or elk. Spectacular. I wanted more. The boar was mainly fat which I guess I should have expected. The wines by the glass were very nice. We also got the croisant bread pudding that was very good. We definitely will go back (but as noted a dinner there for 2 gets pricey). NAME: erioladastra SUBMITTED: 1/24/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: Valet necessary due to small amount of/poor parking location. Reasonably quiet and conversation easy. It's pricey, but the food is very good. Almost every seat has a good view out a window into a thicket behind the lodge. Air conditioner was running despite the evening being chilly. It continued to run cold, even after we requested it be turned off. Waiter was knowledgeable and effective. Expect to spend at least $100 for 2 at dinner before tax/tip. I didn't much like the Apple Tower, but the custard was very good. NAME:  SUBMITTED: 1/21/2008   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2008 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: I have taken many clients to eat at the Lodge and numerous times, I have heard how wonderful the food was. Yes the atmosphere is fantastic and the white linens and service are great. I cant help but wonder, in reading one of the negative views, if people like Mr. Weber dont need to go back to California and dine at your little places of elegance. Here in Texas we appreciate things a little more than the things you seem to take for advantage. The food at the Lodge is exactly what I expected and if California cuisine is what you want and expect, maybe you need to relocate to California. Remember, a vacation to California does not make you a Californian. With my best regards and wishes, thanks for a great meal Rainbow Lodge. And by the way, here in Texas we spell MEET, "meat". NAME: Relocation SUBMITTED: 11/9/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/1/07 FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: My wife made reservations for a surprise 40th birthday dinner for us and 8 of our best friends. From the time we arrived to the time that we left, the experience could not have been more impressive. The table selection was perfect for the group including an incredible view of the gorges grounds, decks and landscape. The service was over the top incredible including special attention to the occasion and reading the table perfectly. We had several suggested wines that paired perfectly with both the food choices as well as the obvious diversity in tastes at the table. In addition, the evening was further made special by a personal introductions at the table by both the General Manager and Chef. In addition to the service, the food was absolutely fantastic. The menu had a great selection for those that wanted to dive into exotic game specialties as well as those wanting to stay closer to home, so to speak. Out of the 10 people at the table, there was nothing short of rave reviews on each item. It clearly went down in the books for several folks as one of the best dining experiences ever. I do not think that there is anyone that I know that has not heard about my great experience. It was good enough that I felt it should be shared with the masses. If you have a special occasion and you want special treatment or you are just looking for an incredible experience or romantic setting, The Rainbow Lodge is the place to go. NAME: WB SUBMITTED: 11/3/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 10/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: I recently booked a business dinner for eight at the Lodge. With seven people from out of town, one from out of state and two from the UK, I was hoping to please. The staff and chef did not let me down! I think only one person ordered from the menu and the rest of us ordered one of the specials. The food was so good that the conversation completely dropped! There was not a single bite left on a single plate when the table was cleared. Those who had desserts, raved about them. All told, it was a fantastic night. Excellent service, excellent food. My guests thanked me but I did was make the reservation in the right place! NAME: Alison SUBMITTED: 10/26/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: October/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: My husband and I were treating ourselves for our anniversary and decided to make Rainbow Lodge our dinner choice. The meal was absolutely fabulous. The staff immediately won us over by being extremely attentive and giving us a great table overlooking the grounds! My husband had the beef tenderloin, which he loved (especially after being disappointed at B*b's Steak and Chop House) and I had the almond crusted trout. For dessert we had the croissant bread pudding. You have to try this dessert! It is absolutely the best dessert we have had in a while, hands down! The next time we want to treat ourselves, or family, we will definitely be returning to Rainbow Lodge. NAME: Dana Lu SUBMITTED: 7/30/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 07/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: Our Timbergrove neiborhood ladies garden club had our monthly meeting/social at The Rainbow Lodge yesterday. We all had a wonderful time. The food was excellent. Our waiter was the best, and the decor was very elagant and serine . We had a perfect view of the beautiful landscape. We all said we will be back!! Thank You for a wonderful dinning experence. NAME: MM SUBMITTED: 7/12/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/11/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: I loved the Rainbow Lodge at the Birdsall location so much that I wasn't sure that the new location could measure up. I was pleasantly surprised! They even brought the hand carved fly fishing bar with them. The new location has very much the same feel as the old location. I was very pleased with the whole experience. The service was good, both in the bar area and in the restaurant. We were a large party and our food came out in a timely manner, not too fast,so that we felt rushed, nor too slow. The lamb was excellent as was the seafood. My favorite was the dessert. We sampled many, but the coconut-banana combination was the best. I am looking forward to my next trip. NAME: GC Keeling SUBMITTED: 6/27/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: We had a large group of girls from south Texas in and arrived to an excellant superb experince at the rainbow lodge. The staff was so friendly and accomodating, The wine excellant, the food was deliocous the ambiance incredible. I can hardly wait to return especially in the winter with the fireplaces. What a treat! Julia Child would approve with a Bon Apetit NAME: Colleen Albury SUBMITTED: 6/25/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: I have never written a review but felt that I needed to pass on my experience. We celebrate a 50th birthday party & couldn’t have chosen a better restaurant. The ambiance was so perfect & would be for any occasion. It was so nice to in a restaurant where you are able to have conversations & not have to scream to each other and/or hear the conversation at the next table. We started our party in the bar with a very nice selections of wine. Then went on to our table & had a fabulous appetizer. With this group (8) we had a variety of dinners and every single one was delicious, not a morsel was left on any of the plates! The salad that came 1st were also wonderful, we were very full but because of the celebration had to have some desserts- omg – to die for, superb!!! Oh did I mention the service, well it was excellent, you could tell by there attitudes that they all enjoyed their jobs!!! I highly recommend the Rainbow Lodge to anyone who wants to have an enjoyable delicious dining experience!! NAME: PB - Kingwood, TX SUBMITTED: 6/25/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 6/23/07 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: A great ambiance is still present at this old lodge style restaurant. The food needs work, however, if it hopes to live up to the prices on the menu and the former reputation they enjoyed at the old location. Some work needs to be done to the wine list, too, so that folks without deep pockets can get a meal here and be able to enjoy a decent wine along with it. There is still great potential for this restaurant if the owner takes a critical look at what is going on and takes constructive action. The main problem with our group was the overbearing sommelier. How disdainful he appeared when it was obvious we were not going to order a $150 bottle of wine. He hovered and waited impatiently for us to make a choice without offering any help at all. Perhaps it was because he could not really help people who did not want to spend a day's pay for a bottle of wine but whatever his problem was he needs to polish up his act a bit or else run the risk of driving off more customers. I'll have to really be at a loss for other places to dine before I return to the Rainbow Lodge. In the meantime I'll keep reading the reviews to see when its safe to return. NAME: Goldfinger SUBMITTED: 6/14/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: May 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: I have never taken the time to write in about any particular establishment, but I felt the need to pass on what a fantastic dining experience I had here. The food and service were excellent. I am so pleased to have such a top notch restaurant here in the Heights. If you haven't tried it, do. NAME: NKJ SUBMITTED: 6/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: Everything was oustanding at the new location. Service was excellent.. food is pricey but just as good as it always was. Brought back many memories of time spent in the old location. NAME: Q SUBMITTED: 6/13/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 06.07 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: This was our 3rd brunch. My wife and I love this place, especially sitting out on the patio which is never crowded since the well-dressed church-goers are all sitting inside with the a/c. We've had the carne asada, chorizo enchiladas, poached eggs on focachia and bacon wrapped shrimp. they were all fabulous. the shrimp are wrapped with a little jalapeno slice so pack a nice kick. the service outside is a little slow so sit inside if you're in a hurry. but if you want to enjoy the outdoors and sip on the dollar mimosas or champagne, the patio is the way to go. we're going to try the 5pm sunday suppers next. NAME: krike SUBMITTED: 4/29/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: April 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: Last weekend was my 2nd visit to the new location for the Spring Wine Pairing. Not only was the day beautiful, so were the eclectic foods and the magnificent wine pairings. The staff had taken a different approach this time by going off the beaten path with all South American inspired dishes to match the wines. And boy did they score a home run. The diversity of the dishes, the different spices they used in preparation, it all accumulated to a wonderfull dining experience. In the short time the staff has been in the new location the “labor of love” with regards to the landscaping is showing through already and one can only imagine how wonderful this location is going to develop. Kudos to Donette and her staff for hosting this wonderful event and congratulations with the superb transition. NAME: Rene Foree SUBMITTED: 4/17/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/2007 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: This was my first visit to the new location, and it is just wonderful. We went for a late Valentine's day dinner. Rainbow Lodge is definitely the kind of place you go to when you want to have a nice, lesiurely romantic meal. We ordered a fantastic bottle of wine to start, and enjoyed the amazing bread. I had the almond-crusted trout with grits and greens, and it was out of this world!!! My boyfriend had the elk chop which was so perfectly cooked, even I liked it, and I'm not a meat eater!! Rainbow Lodge is a wonderful place to enjoy good food in a warm, cozy atmosphere. NAME: Monkey101979 SUBMITTED: 2/19/2007   LAST VISIT WAS: February 2007 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: In past years, I've had the pleasure of many wonderful brunches and dinners at the Rainbow Lodge on Birdsall. I was elated when I found that the resturant was relocating to my neighborhood! My first visit was for a lite dinner in the Tied Fly Bar. What a beautiful transformation of the new location! The grounds have been completely updated and while the interior remodeling has many new and interesting changes, there are some items that I recognized that keep with the tradition from the the previous lodge. I found a comfortable casual abmiance to the Lodge, yet it will accomodate a formal dining occasion, too. I was very happy to find that the quality of the food and service made the move in grand style, too. I congratulate Ms. Hansen and her staff on a job well done! I'm looking forward to many regular visits to the Rainbow Lodge for great food in the beautiful and relaxing environment. NAME: DRH SUBMITTED: 12/21/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: This was my first visit to the restaurant since they opened in this location. The ambiance was warm and wonderful and our waitress was great. I ordered the "Businessman's Lunch", which included soup or salad, an entree and a dessert. While I expected the portions to be small, I was not prepared for the total lack of presentation. The taste was delicious, but there was absolutely nothing that "looked" appetizing except for the dessert which was attractively presented and equally delicious. The soup consisted of a tiny cup placed directly on the table, not even a saucer on which to place the used spoon. The entree was approximately 2" across and just lost on the plate. Again I say the food was delicious, but the presentation left a whole lot to be desired....... NAME: Susan D SUBMITTED: 12/19/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/2006 FREQUENCY: Visited once 2011 Ella Blvd, Houston, Texas 77008  713.861.8666 MY REVIEW: I just had to respond to the reviewer below because saying goodbye to the old buildings and grounds without saying a big hello to the new location just seems too melancholy and final. I live close to the new location and can't say enough how excited we are to have such an outstanding Houston icon moving to our neighborhood. I took a sneak peak into the new location and can honestly say it has the lodgy, warm, comfortable feeling patrons of The Rainbow Lodge have come to count on. The restaurant is currently decorated for the holidays which is always my favorite time to go and enjoy a bowl of their delicious duck gumbo although, if the weather stays this warm it may have to be Sunday brunch on the outside terrace. As our family and friends did in the last location, we will be frequenting this new location often. Welcome to the neighborhood! We couldn't be more thrilled to have you! NAME: TMNA Resident SUBMITTED: 11/28/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: November 17, 2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... 1 Birdsall St, Houston, Texas    MY REVIEW: In case you don't already know, the Rainbow Lodge Birdsall location is closing, and the restaurant is moving to the former La Tour D*'Argent restaurant location at the corner of TC Jester and Ella, on December 1. So, if you don't make Sunday brunch tomorrow, November 26, that will be your last opportunity to enjoy the beyond-description building and grounds of this old hunting lodge estate. For myself and the other thousands of patrons who have enjoyed this location over the past twenty something years, for special meals, family occasions, holidays, weddings and more, Rainbow Lodge, you shall remain in our hearts and minds forever. NAME: Stairs SUBMITTED: 11/25/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: Thanksgiving 2006 FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name... 1 Birdsall St, Houston, Texas    MY REVIEW: I took my husband to the Lodge for his birthday last night. We tried the Food Safari... outstanding. I did not care too much for the first course of tuna but the rest of it was very delicious. We had paired wines and they all were paired very well. Our servers name was julie anne and she made the experience quite nice for my husband (she even had the kitchen whip up a birthday message in chocolate on his dessert)... she took the time to explain the food we enjoyed. Thanks to the Lodge for always doing it right. NAME: Mrs Fulkerson SUBMITTED: 5/27/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: may 2006 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times 1 Birdsall St, Houston, Texas    MY REVIEW: Great Decor and surrounding Ok service.. nothing bad or that stands out Food was excellent. 4 of us went to celebrate and we all enjoyed our entrees and desserts. I would surely recommend visiting the place for the decor and food. NAME: tpuvathoor SUBMITTED: 5/17/2006   LAST VISIT WAS: Nov 2005 FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times More reviews If you don't agree with these comments, agree with them or have additional comments, click here to Add Your Review. Restaurant Owners & Managers Curious about your Activity and Ranking on b4-u-eat? Want to Create or Update your Free Profile Page? Click here to Login. ©Copyright 1991 - 2008 B4-U-EAT.COM. All rights reserved. Design and database by B4-U-BUY